The new contract, presented by Town Administrator Kristi Eiane at the Jan. 7 Board of Selectmen meeting, would extend Planning Decision’s services through June 30. The rate would be $100 an hour for approximately 10 hours a week, according to the contract.

After June 30, the town would contract with Eyerman in an individual capacity for the rest of the year, at $60 an hour for an estimated 20 hours of work per week.

In an interview Monday, Eiane said this structure allows the town flexibility: “We’re still feeling out this relationship of having a contract planner, and figuring out how many hours we need a week,” she said.

The total budgeted amount for contracted service in 2016 is $58,400.

Harpswell budgeted more than $57,800 in 2015 for its full-time planner, not including benefits. In 2014, the town budgeted more than $56,300.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Selectman Elinor Multer said she believes the trade-off for fewer hours is worth it.

“(Eyerman) is a particularly excellent planner,” she said. “The time that he has spent with us over the past weeks and months, working with the committees, with the board of selectmen … everyone’s been pretty happy with the results.”

Selectmen voted unanimously Jan 7. to extend the contract. After the meeting, Eiane said there is potential for hiring Eyerman again in 2017 at a lower cost.

“We are not looking for another in-house planner at this point,” Multer said.